Wire-bound box



M. E. s. SECKER.

WIRE BOUND BOX.

M. E. S. SE-CKER. WIRE BOUND BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1-. 1-920.

Patented June 21, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

MAURICE EDWARD STAGG SECKER, OE LONDON, ENGLAND.

WIRE-BOUND BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

Application filed April 1, 1920. Serial No. 370,597.

To all w from it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE EDWARD SrAee SEOKER, a subject of the Kingof England, residing in (latford, London, England, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in l/Vire-Bound Boxes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to wire-bound boxes,and is par ticularly applicable to that type of box which is commonlyused as a packing for two or more tins of petrol. In such boxes thesides are generally made of thin or ply wood, each side consisting ofone or more strips 'of wood secured together. These strips are generallyheld by battens and it is found that cases so formed are readily damagedin transit, and moreover are generally seriously damaged when the caseis opened, as the nails used in closing the sides down are frequentlyclenched over and in any case the withdrawing of nails splinters thethin wood from which the case is constructed. In boxes according to thepresent invention, these objections are overcome, and a strong box whichmay be utilized time after time is provided.

The use of the invention as applied to a packing case for petrol tins isonly given by way of example, and not by way of limitation.

According to the present invention a wire-bound box of the type havingone or more single wires,each of which is applied to the box so as toconstitute two substantially parallel binders for a side member thereofis characterized by the fact that the portion of each said wire whichbridges between the binders is a long longitudinal span extending clearof the box structure and acting at or near each end as one element of ahinge for wire loops on another side member while the two ends of saidsingle wire also extend clear of the box structure andare shaped toengage a binding wire or wires on an adjacent side member, for examplethe lid.

Preferably a wire-bound box according to this invention is characterizedby the fact that each of three of the side members of the boxhasindividually applied to it one or more single wires each of whichconstitutes two substantially parallel binders both of which extendtransversely across from one edge to an opposite edge of the said sidemember with that portion of the wire which bridges between the bindersbeing a long longitudinal span situated near to and free of one of theedges of the side member to constitute at or near each end one elementof a hinge for another side member, and one or both of the two endportions of the wire which extend to or beyond the opposite edge beingshaped to engage a binding wire or wires of an adjacent side member.

The parallel portions of the binding wires preferably take the place ofthe battens hereinbefore referred to, though, if desired, they may beused in conjunction with such battens.

In one preferred construction the substantially parallel portions of theaforesaid single wire extend around and are secured to threeside-members of the box.

In another construction each of the three side-members of the box has asingle wire applied to it in the mannenhereinbefore described, the endportions of the wire on one side-member being connected to the hingedside portion of the wire of an adjacent sidemember. Other features ofthe invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of box, (showing the boxstructure in skeleton with the wire in full) with the lid raised;

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 show ing the lid closed and securedin place;

3 is a similar view to Fig. l of a modified construction of box, and

Fig. shows a box blank for four of the sides of the box shown in Fig. 3.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a box isshown having three sides 1, 2 and 3, a lid a and ends 5. The latter arepreferably stiffened and strengthened by the provision of battens 6. Tothe sides 1, 2 and 3 a single wire is applied in such a manner thatstarting from one end 10 secured to the side 1, the wire then passesatv11 transversely across the side 2 and at 12 transversely across theside 3, the parts 10,

11 and 12 being substantially in a plane parallel with the boX ends; Thewire is then carried at a small distance beyond and free or" the topedge of the side 3 in a part 7 13 and terminates in portions 1 1, 15 and16 similar and parallel to the portions lO, 11 and 12 respectively. Atthe two ends 10 and 16 the wire is formed into loops by bending the endof the wire back onto itself and se curing that end to the side 1, theloops being bent outwardly slightly from the side 1. These loops formmeans for securing the free ends of the wlre of the 11d to behereinafter described. These free ends are j shown at 20 and are eachprojections from a separatewire which passes completely across the outerside of the lid at 21 and back along the underside oi the lid at 22, thelooped portions between the arms 21 and 22 which outstand fromthe edgeof the lid 4 being passed around the part 13. The latter constitutes oneelement of the hinge for the V lid while the loops between the parts 21and I V 22 form the other elements thereof. 2

binders, a hinge-element and fastener-ele- 4O 1 and quickly secured inits closed position It will be seen therefore that a single wireisapphed to the three sides 1, 2 and 3 in such a'manner as to'providetwoparallel ment for the lid wires; V

' The sides 1, 2 and 3 may,.1f desired, be socured together by naillngor otherwise as 'may be found desirable, and the ends 5 may belet intogrooves'or rabbets formed in the innerfaces oi the sides 1, 2 and 3. lnwhatever manner the sides and ends are connected to gether it will beseen that a box is provided having a hinged lid which may be readily bymeans of the wires 20 and loops 10 and the box it is only necessary tobend back the turned-over portions of the ends 20 to tree the lid sothat no damage is done to'it as with light packing cases having naileddown hdshitherto employed. The manner oi fastening otf'th'e' ends 20 inthe loops and 16 is shown in Fig. 2 and such a faste ing is readilyadapted to the application or a lead or other seal to the doubled-backpor tion'of the ends 20 in'order to detecttampering or otherunauthorlzed opening of the case; 7

. The'wires'as shown maybe used in the place of the customarystrengthening battensor in addition to the battens in which latter casethey serve as a reinforcement to the battens in: strengthening thepacking case. V V

V In the constuctlon shown in Figs. '3 and 1, each of the sides 1, 2and8 and the lid- 4 has ap 'nied to it a single wire separate from thewire on an ad acent side. Thuson the 16. ltloreover, when it"is desired.to own side member 1, the wire constitutes two looped ends 30 with abridging portion 32 between them which is spaced away slightly from theedge of the side land which constitutes one member or" a hinge for thewire ends on the adjacent side-member 72. The wire on the side-member 2comprises two parallel arms 10 (secured to its outer surface) which aredoubled around to loop over the portion 32 and are secured as shown at11 to the inner surface of the side-member 2. The connecting portion412' betweenthe two parallel binders 4E0 constitutes the hingeforloopsprovided by similar binding wires 50,51 on" the side member 3, and asbeiore, the-connecting portion 52 between the two arms 50 areengagedbyloops formed by the two parts 60 and 61 ot twosimilar wires on the side-7 lid, so that to open the box it is only neces} sary to turn back theends 62 to disengage L 7 them rrom the loops 30 when the 1m Wlll be freeto open.

, The ends 5 may conveniently be provided with tenons 81161111 1111corresponding mortises in the sides 1 and 2 and preferably the tenonsand mortises are so formed as to constitute dovetailed oint asillustrated. With such a'construr-tion battens similar to'the bat tens 6shown in FigsJl and 2 may be pro vided to strengthen the ends ifdesired. 7

It will be understood that the sides 1, 2 and 3, can'be secnredto theends 5 by other means than those illustratedsior example by lightlynailing them together or securing them in any other convenient-manner.

Instead otiorming the loops' lO and 16 or the loops SO in'the mannerillustrated, they may be formed by carrying the ends nearer to thetop'edge of the side '1, then bendingthem at right-angles and staplingthem t5 the side meniber after buckling them to provide loops asillustrated in dotted linesat' X in Fig. I

o it is obvious that the invention admits oi 'many modifications withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. For e2 mple, forlarger b'oXes,t\vo or more sets of wires such as those described may beapplied side by side to the various side-members,

' each set constituting parallel binders,-hinge elements and one or moreloops or catches. Moreover, wlre according to the present inventioncould be applied as a reinforcement to existing boxes whereof theside-members are nailed or otherwise secured together with or withoutwood battens.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A wire-bound box having applied to a side member thereof abinding-element which (a) is in the form of a single length of materialconstituting two substantially parallel. binders, (b) has a portionbridging between said binders in the form of a long Longitudinal spanextending clear of the box-structure and acting in the region of each ofits ends as a hinge-element for another box-member, and (c) has its twofree ends extending clear of the box-structure and shaped to engage abinding element on an adjacent box-- member, combined with a secondhinge-element and a binding element at other parts of the box-structureto engage respectively with the span and the free ends aforesaid.

2. A wire-bound box comprising a side member having spaced bindingelements secured thereto, said elements being formed from a singlelength of material having a long longitudinally extending span portionbridging them in the region of one edge of said. side, and a lid havingspaced binding elements secured thereto and projecting beyond theopposite sides of the lid, the projecting portions of said bindingelements at one side of the lid being adapted to engage with saidlongitudinally extending span portion approximatel at each end of it,and at the opposite side with spaced binding elements on an adjacentside member, substantially as described.

3. A wire-bound box, comprising a side having spaced binding elementssecured thereto, said elements being connected by a longitudinallyextending span portion and having their free ends adapted to enga ebinding elements on another portion of t e box, and a lid having spacedbinding elements secured thereto and projecting beyond the oppositesides of said lid, certain of the projecting portions of said lastmentioned binding elements being adapted to engage said longitudinallyextending span portion approximately at each end thereof, substantiallyas described.

4-. A wire-bound box having applied to a side member thereof a bindingelement, com prising a single length of material. onstituting twosubstantially parallel binders connected by a portion bridging saidbinders, said portion being in the form of a longitudinal span extendingclear of the box structure and serving as a hinge element for anotherbox member, the free ends of said material extending clear of the boxstructure and shaped to engage a binding element on an adjacent boxmember, and a second hinge element and binding element at other parts ofthe box structure to engage with said span approximately at each endthereof, substantially as described.

A wire-bound box having applied to a side member thereof a bindingelement comprising a single length of material constituting twosubstantially parallel binders connected by a portion bridging said binders, said portion being in the form of a longitudinal span extendingclear of the box structure and serving as a hinge element for anotherbox member, the free ends of said binders extending clear of the boxstructure and shaped to engage a binding element on an adjacent boxmember, and a lid having a binding element engaging with said span,substantially as described.

6. A wire-bound box having applied individually to each of threecontiguous side members thereof a binding element, comprising a singlelength of material constituting two substantially parallel bindersextending transversely from one edge to an opposite edge of its sidemember, and a portion bridging said binders, said portion being in theform of a longitudinal span extending near to and free of one of theedges of its side member and serving as a hinge element for another sidemember, said binders having their free ends formed to engage with thespan of an adjacent side member to constitute a hinged connectiontherebetween, substantially as described.

7. A wire-bound box having applied individually to each of threecontiguous sidc members thereof a binding element comprising a length ofmaterial constituting two substantially parallel binders extendingtransversely from one edge to an opposite edge of its side member, aportion connecting said binders, said portion being in the form of alongitudinal span extending near to and free of one of the edges of itsside member and serving as a hinge element for another side member, atleast one of the free ends of the binding element of one of thecontiguous side members being shaped to engage a binding wire of anadjacent side member, and the said free ends of the binding elements oftwo others of the contiguous side members being engaged with and hingingon the spans respectively on adjacent side members, and a fourth sideelement having on it a hinge element and engaging device to engagerespectively with the span and free ends of the adjacent side members oneither side thereof, substantially as described.

8. wire-bound box having applied individually to each of threecontiguous side members thereof a binding element comprising a length ofmaterial constituting two substantially parallel V binders extendingvparallel from one edge to an opposite edge of its side member, a portionbridging said binders in the form of a longitudinal span thereeeross andengaging at one edge said free ends and at the opposite ed 'e engagingthe span of en'adjeeent side member, sub- 10 stentially as described. 7

In testimony whereof- I affix my signature.

MAURICE EDWARD STAGG SEQKER-

